Radiator and method of making the same



Marcli 19, 1935. R. WARRENDER 1,994,903

RADIATOR AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed Jan. 6, 1931 a L 7 ATFORNEYPatented Mar. 19, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RADIATOR ANDMETHOD OFMAKING THE SAME Application January 6, 1931, Serial No. 506,914

6 Claims.

My invention relates to heat radiators and it has particular relation toheat radiators adapted for use with electrical apparatus, such astransformers.

In the operation of electrical apparatus, such as transformers,induction regulators or the like, the apparatus is contained in a tankor casing and immersed in a bath of insulating and cooling fluid, suchas oil. The oil insulates the various parts of the apparatus from oneanother, and, by circulation and conduction, transfers the heatgenerated in the apparatus to the walls of the tank'through which it isdissipated to the outside atmosphere, thus protecting the apparatus frominjury.

It is frequently desirable, especially in relatively large transformers,to increase the cooling capacity of the transformer tank by theprovision of heat-conducting radiators or coolers, thus providing alarge cooling area in contact with the outside atmosphere. One generaltype of radiator for cooling purposes is provided with top and bottomheader members or conduits, connected to the transformer tank andbetween which vertical risers are connected to permit the oil to flowbetween the two header members, which,in turn, receive oil from, anddeliver oil to, the transformer tank. A plurality of such radiators maybe attached to a transformer tank.

An object of my invention is to provide a cheap and efficient form ofradiator which is of light weight, is leak proof and which, whencompleted, has no joints between the parts thereof.

Another object of my invention is to provide a radiator that may beformed of blown up or inflated riser sections welded together and tosingle-piece header members attached to their ends and influid-conducting relation thereto.

My invention will be better understood by referring to the followingdescription when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, inwhich:

Figure 1 is a view, partially in section and partially in elevation, ofa finished radiator unit showing one manner of mounting.

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of a finished radiator unit adaptedfor radial mounting.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line III--III of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a front elevational view of a portion of a finished radiatorunit adapted for tangential mounting. I

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view showing the side plates of arising section before they are shaped to form a fluid-conducting member.

header contemplated by my Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional view showingthe side plates of a riser section after they have been pressed orinflated to the desired shape.

Fig. '7 is an enlargement of a portion of the structure shown in Fig. 1.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawing, a radiator unit 1 is illustrated ascomprising a plurality of risers or fluid-conducting members 2 that areattached, at the top and bottom, to header sections 3. The risersections may be formed in the general way described in the copendingapplication of John G. Ritter for Receptacles, Serial No. 249,193, filedJanuary 24, 1928 and assigned to the Westinghouse Electric andManufacturing Company.

Such fluid-conducting members 2 are formed from flat steel plates 4, ofrelatively thin material, having, in general, a rectangular form. Theplates 4 are welded together at their edges, as shown at 7, and are spotor line welded along a portion of theirintermediate surfaces, as shownat 8. The plates 4 are .welded together, while the plates are fiat, asshown in Fig. 5, and, after the completion of the welding operation, areinfiated by means of compressed air, or the like. to their finalconfiguration, as shown in Fig. 6. After each riser section is formed,the ends of the plates are sheared, and a tool is inserted between theends of the pair of plates which causes them to be bent, as at 5, andturned up at 6, the end portion 6 being substantially parallel to thewall 4 of the riser section. After the formation of the riser sections,they are placed adjacent to each other, with their turned up portions -6abutting, and are welded together along their abutting edges, thusattaching the adjae cent riser sections together.

Trough-shaped members 11 are provided to cooperate with the ends of theriser sections to form the lateral connecting conduits 3. The edges ofthe members 11 are welded to the bent portions 5 of the riser membersalong the line of contact 12. 1

Flange members 13 are welded to the headers 3 to form radiator partsthat connect to the tank through the elbows 14. In another form ofinvention and adapted for radial mounting, the flanges 13 may beattached directly to the tank, without employing elbows, as shown inFig. 2. In Fig. 4 is shown another form of header that may be employedfor mounting the radiator section tangentially to the transformer tank.

It will be noted that, in the construction hereinbefore set forth, theparts are so arranged that all of the welds are made on the outsidesurface of the radiator. Consequently, they are easily accessible andmay be economically made, thereby effecting a considerablereduction inthe cost of manufacturing and maintaining the radiator. There are nodepressed surfaces to form pockets for the retention of water, thuspreventing corrosion and leaks in the radiator.

Since many modifications in. the construction illustrating my inventionmay be made without departing from the spirit thereof, I do not wish tobe limited otherwise than by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A heat-radiating unit comprising a plurality of fluid-conductingriser sections disposed in substantially parallel relation and formedfrom a pair of plates welded together at their peripheries, a portionadjacent to the ends of said plates being disposed substantially atright angles to the risers to form flat surfaces, the end portions beingfurther bent inwardly to form flat surfaces parallel to the section,said last named surfaces of adjacent sections abutting each other andbeing welded together, and trough-like members welded to the ends of aplurality of riser sections to form connecting conduits, all of saidwelds being on the exterior surface of said radiator.

2. A heat-radiating unit comprising a plurality of fluid-conductingriser sections disposed in substantially parallel relation and formedfrom a pair of plates welded together at their peripheries, a portionadjacent to the ends of said plates being bent to form flat surfaces at.right angles to the risers, the extreme end portions of said platesbeing bent to form flat surfaces parallel to the riser sections, saidlast named surfaces of adjacent sections abutting each other and beingwelded together, troughlike members welded to the end portions of thesections to form headers, all of said welds being on the exteriorsurface of the radiator.

. 3. A heat-radiating unit comprising a plurality of fluid-conductingmembers arranged in substantially parallel relation, the ends of eachmember being bent away from the center thereof and inwardly to form flatsurfaces parallel to the member, the flat surfaces of adjacent membersabutting each other and being welded thereto, trough-like members weldedto the ends of the fluid-conducting members to form headers, all of saidwelds being on the exterior surface of the radiator.

4. The method of forming a radiator which comprises positioning aplurality of pairs of substantially rectangular abutting plate members,welding said pairs of plates about their peripheries, inflating eachpair of plates to form fluidconducting passages therebetween, divergingthe top and bottom of each pair of plates to form substantially flatsurfaces normal to the plates, bending the outer edges of the divergingportions inwardly to form flatsurfaces parallel to the plates, attachingtogether the parallel flatsurfaces of each pair of plates and thereafterattaching hollow members to the ends 'of the attached plates influid-conducting relation thereto.

5. The method of forming a radiator which comprises positioning aplurality of pairs of substantially rectangular abutting plate members,-

weldingeach pair of plates about their peripheries and shaping saidplates to form fluidconducting passages therebetween, diverging the topand bottom of each to form substantially fiat surfaces normalto theplates, bending the outer edges of the diverging portions inwardly toform flat surfaces parallel to the plates, bringing each pair of platesinto abutting relation along the parallel flat surfaces and welding themalong the points of contact and thereafter welding trough-like membersto the ends of the attached plates in a fluid-transmitting relation.

6. A fluid circulating unit comprising in combination a plurality ofrisers disposed in substantially parallel relation, therisershavingtheir ends turned outwardly back on themselves to provide engagingflanges, welds uniting the engaging flanges, and headers welded on therisers forming a complete unit with the welds being external to thestructure.

RALPH WARRENDER.

